


Earth's Nightmares

by RadioBuzz



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Based on Little Nightmare world, Children are being farmed, Confused Lance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fem Lance, Female Lance (Voltron), Implied/Referenced Character Death, Lana wears a yellow raincoat, Lance is Lana, Little Nightmares AU, Mental Abuse, Mentioned suicide, No giant cats, Not actual Little Nightmares plot, Vague, Voltron is just a team name, dark themes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-09
Packaged: 2019-04-18 12:06:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14212782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RadioBuzz/pseuds/RadioBuzz
Summary: We were fools to think Zarkon invaded earth for no reason. For forty years we left them under his rules. "There are higher priorities", we thought. "They have no use for humans", we said. We didn't know.I swear, we didn't know."I'm sorry, Lana"





	1. Chapter 1

            There are two different sets of rules down here in the living rooms. One set of rules are the obvious ones set be Taker. The rules are as proceeded: obey Taker, do not run from Taker, do not hide from Taker, do not harm Taker, do not leave your bed after lights out, and do not scream. Getting caught breaking this set of rules will result in being taken, and everyone knows that once Taker takes someone out of the living rooms they do not come back. Those are Taker’s rules. The second set of rules are equally as important.

            The shame rules were created by other children like me. They have been in place for as long as I can remember and never have I known them to be broken. Rule number one, do not steal food from another child. Even when your stomach has been cramping for a week. Even when your legs grow weak and your knees knock together. Even when your eyes get heavy but your head feels light. Even when your body becomes thinner but feels heavier. Even when it progressively gets harder and harder to get out of bed at the wake bell. You are to **never** steal food from someone else. We all get fed at the same time and get just enough to live to next feeding time. Stealing someone else's food is murder.

            Rule number two is much easier to follow. When Taker is in the room, do not speak. This includes no speaking to Taker and no speaking to another child, not even a whisper to your bed-mates. It is easy to hear Taker’s large, thumping footsteps from almost anywhere, but when he is within a room’s distance away you can begin to hear his breathing. Once you can hear his breathing, be quiet.  Taker can not take you if he does not know you are there

            Everyone willingly follows rule number three; once someone has been taken, whether they were six or eighteen, do not talk about them. There is no point in talking about the past. Let yourself and everyone else around you move on. Children are going to continue being taken, and there is nothing any of us can do about it.

            Rule number four was made out of spite towards Taker and honor towards the other children. No one is to tell Taker when they find a body. When a child decides they are done, no one ever stops them. We all know that one day we are going to be taken, and we all know what happens after that. The thing is, Taker does not care if we are dead. He will even take the bodies, but he can only take them if he finds them. So, when you find a body, simply leave it. They didn't want to be here to experience what happens next, don’t let that be in vain.

            Rule number five is the unspoken rule. No one has ever said it out loud and getting caught even thinking about it by Taker results in being taken, like most things do. Rule number five is learned from watching from the very first day you leave the nursery at age four and suddenly you have to fear of being taken. After years of hearing the loud thumping footsteps somewhere in the rooms around you, of watching the young children’s eyes widen before they dim, of the bigger children growing tense, of the waiting for your next meal, of stumbling over bodies that were smart enough, of all of this and more; you begin to notice the eyes. Not the metal eyes on the walls, but the eyes of the children around you. You learn to recognize where they ‘wander’. When Taker’s footsteps are at their furthest and the room goes silent, children begin to look around. Every once in a while their is a child, looking away from the others with eyes wide with a thought. Everyone sees them with bated breaths. “Do it”, no one says it outloud, but it's what everyone thinks. “Do it”, their eyes chant. And the single child in the center of all this attention can feel it. They can hear the chant, the hope, of every single child in the room, in all of the living rooms. They are acutely aware of the distant thump, thump, thump somewhere deep in the living rooms. And they can’t stop staring. “What if?” their eyes dare. And at the peak of it all? Everyone’s eyes say the same exact thing. The fifth shame rule is never spoken, it is hoped for and inside of every child that thinks there is a possibility.

           “Run”, their eyes whisper as I follow the fifth rule and take my chance.

 

            Earth is an unknown wild card. The Blade of Marmora know that it was invaded forty deca-phoebs ago by Zarkon. They know that only a few humans were capable of escaping in the beginning and that none have escaped since the invasion. Most humans that had escaped had been given residence with the Alteans. They know it is nearly impossible to land on earth. Teams have been sent, none have come back. But to be honest, earth had stopped being a priority. Yes, the humans were upset, but the few scans we were able to get through showed no signs of work camps, forced mines, or planetary destruction. The planet was not being harmed, so the humans still on the planet must have been okay. Right?

            They did not know.

            A couple of quintants ago a message was received in one of the scanners that was kept around earth. It was...odd, to say the least. It had exact layouts of Zarkonian scouts, routines, and blind spots. We were given instruction on exactly how to get onto the planet down to the very last inch. Just this information was not enough to have us bring back the earth missions though. It was the single picture that was attached to the message that caught our attention.

            Children. Dozens of human children from around three to eighteen, all in raggedy grey shorts and faded purple tank taps that dangle off of their thin, bony bodies. They all curled up together almost naturally. There were various simple toys that they held between each other. They weren’t playing, that much was obvious. None of the children were having any fun, you could see it in their eyes. Smaller children stared down at the toys in their hands, most of them absently stared at the walls or each other, the older kids were looking at the the only entrance in the dim, grey room. It seemed to be taken from a security feed. None of them seemed to know they were on camera. What they all **did** have though is this same...dead look in their eyes. That was the only way to describe it. The picture was haunting to look at and left everyone who saw it with a small sense of dread that carried with them.

            So a team was put together. A powerful team made in the hopes of rescuing children. They were thought to be ready for whatever earth could throw at them. They were the strongest and smartest. They were four humans, excited to return to a home they had never seen before. We were Voltron

            And nothing could have prepared us for the hell that was happening on that planet.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Please read this quick note! When I first posted this chapter I had proofread it at three in the morning and was not properly done. I have now properly proofread it and I have made a few changes. You don't have to re-read it if you don't want to, the story is still the same. Thank you! :D

             The vents are much louder on the inside then they are on the outside. There is a consistent, deep hum and somewhere in this maze of metal, there is rhythmic tap. Every little bump or knock I accidentally make seems to echo and I can’t help but to freeze at every noise. It is also hot, that is one of the many things I considered before I crawled in, but thinking about it and feeling it are two very different things. Before long, moisture was collecting along my back and my palms began slipping on the thrumming metal under my fingers. My bare knees ache before now I have never considered wanting longer shorts. I am also beginning to appreciate my tank top in this heat. Despite all of this though, nothing could even make me think of turning back. I have made my decision, whether I like it or not. So I keep going, taking turn after turn without a single clue where I am or where I am heading.

            This was a spur of the moment decision. I was just sitting there with the others when I noticed the bolts on the floor by the wall. At first, they were just bolts, some more things that were just sitting around. My eyes crawled up the wall a few inches where I then took notice of the vent. The realization was slow, but when it came it was powerful. Could I just...crawl in? It sounded too good to be true. Not only that but I had no clue what I would be facing on the other side. It could be worse then what I am already dealing with, but it could also be better. And the thought of life getting a single bit better was enough for me.

            After crawling on my scraped knees and sweaty hands for what felt like forever, something began to change. At first, it was hard to put my finger on it, but there was definitely a new smell. My first thought was to follow it, it had to mean I was getting closer to a way out of this tight environment.

            Multiple times I had to backtrack or turn around when I would begin to notice the smell was fading. This was probably even harder than when I was just wandering around. Slowly but surely, the scent got closer, and sadly, stronger. Now that I can identify it I can tell it is absolutely disgusting and is getting worse every moment that I keep moving forward. I can feel my own face scrunching up as I progress.

            Eventually, the vents seemed to intercept a steep slope. It was a similar metal tunnel, except this one was circular and slightly bigger, probably just big enough to sit up straight in. Plus, the walls in this tunnel were covered in strange chunks of slimy scraps. It smells gross, it looks gross, and...yep, it feels gross too. This is most likely a garbage chute. Going up is not a possibility, the slime would make it too slick to climb such a steep slope. I would need to go down, the bottom is a mystery though so I need to take it slow.

            One foot at a time, I curled up my body and pulled my legs up in front of me. Doing this was harder than it should have been, I never realized how long my legs were till now. But I wiggled and squirmed until I was capable of climbing into the chute without immediately sliding all the way down. Slowly, I shuffle my body forward. At every movement forward into the chute, there was a squish that would make my throat reflexively tighten.

            Once I maneuvered my body completely inside I had to keep my legs pressed firmly against the ceiling and my arms against the side. From then on I just had to figure out how to crawl backward and upside down on a curved, slimy surface. This may seem hard, but it is actually way more difficult than I originally thought it would be, just like most things have been since I decided to run.

            It was all just one scooting movement at a time. Right leg down, left leg down, hold them there until I bring my arms back to my sides, now repeat. Left, right, arms, repeat. It was repetitive to say the very least, slow too. It is not like I am being timed by anyone though, and hopefully, no one is waiting for me at the end of this chute. But even if there is no race, the longer this goes on the more my arms and legs ache.

            The sounds of my movements almost become rhythmic inside my head. Slide, slide, scooch, squish. I have never heard a real song before, but it is not uncommon to hear humming in the living rooms. Sometimes it is Taker, sometimes it is other children, sometimes I realize I am the one humming. Slide, slide, scooch, squish. Real humans are meant to make music and rhythms. Well, that is what I believe. In the living rooms, we got to believe whatever we want to believe since there is nothing really to disprove us. Except for the simple truths, of course. Slide, slide, scooch, squish. Simple truths are every day in life thing that all of the children understand. Water is wet. Things fall when you stop holding them. Our bodies ache when we are hungry. When Taker takes you, you will be… Slide, slide, scooch, squish, hiss.

            Hiss? Hiss! Something is hissing! What is hissing?! What would even make a hissing noise?!

            Something under my left hand begins squirming and pulling away from the rest of the slime it had camouflaged itself in. It is too dark to see it, but I can certainly feel it’s long, slim body sliding under my palm. With a squeal, I yank my hand back only for the hissing creature to fall down on my face with a wet slap. Both hands reflexively move to get rid of the thrashing creature now on my face. But every time I believe I almost have a grip on it, it wiggles right back out between my fingers. At this point, I am basically just hitting myself.

            The slimy being had all of my attention, I didn't even notice when I began to slide down. My foot scrapes against something semi-solid that quickly gives up under my struggles and suddenly my trip down the chute accelerates by a lot. At this point, it is nearly impossible to get a grip on the walls. Even when I kick my feet out, it only collects more sludge on my legs. My shirt has risen up in the back and I can feel the metal and gunk sliding up along my spine and straight into my hair. Things were flying by too quickly. There is no avoiding the filth anymore and all I can do as I fall is keep trying to make sure I don’t scrape any more of my skin. The sound of slipping and metal echoed. My biggest fear though is the end of the chute. When is it coming? What will it feel like? Answers came quickly.

            The feeling of nothing hit me harder then I thought possible. My breath was stolen straight from my lungs. Every beat of my heart was another painful second of flying. I felt like nothing. And then I was falling.

            My body dropped into a pile of...something. Some of it is solid, some of it is liquid, some is in between. Whatever it all is, I have to lay there in it as I take a few minutes to catch my breath. Once I am properly capable of breathing again, I slowly turn onto my stomach and force my aching body to stand up. Despite being sore, standing up again feels amazing after being curled up inside of vents for so long. After I pull out all the little kinks and knots inside of my body I take time to get a look around. This room is ginormous, stretching up about ten times Takers huge body, which is already double my own height. The entire floor is completely covered in thrown away scraps and unidentifiable sludge. There are multiple round chutes, much like the one I came out of, near the top of each wall So this is where all the garbage goes? It is oddly satisfying having this piece of information.

            I am sure I made plenty of noise coming down, but I spin around to the sound of something distant shuffling. A bright beam blinds me the moment I turn to face the noise. Even with my eyes closed the light physically hurts without putting my hands up to protect my face. Fear takes over my body at the thought of being caught by Taker, or something else. Head rushing, hand and legs shaking, I peak over my fingers when my eyes don’t feel as assaulted as before. And the figure I see behind the source of the light is definitely not Taker.

            She is another child like me, but not like me. She is smaller, younger. Similar to me she is covered in sludge, but under the gross cover, her skin is lighter than my own, with short blonde hair while mine is dark and long. At the feeling of something falling out of my hair and onto my legs though, I too consider just cutting it off. This girl seems to have been here a long time. She stands at the top of a large garbage pile she must have spent hours down here making to reach a square opening that is halfway up the wall. And her eyes...This girl is the one who removed the screws. Her eyes say she wants, no, needs to get out. They say she planned this and has waited for a long time. They say she is stronger than me and I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her. And they are right. I need to catch up with her, to thank her. I need her help.

            Before I am able to take any more than a few steps the girl throws something at me. A small yellow bundle flew through the air. Stumbling to catch it, I end up tripping and the bundle falls just a few feet away from me. Scrambling to reach and open it, I am filled with a sort of buzzy feeling in my chest. This is like a gift, right? I have never received a gift before now, none of the children in the living rooms have. As the rubbery bundle is unraveled it begins to take shape. A small, strange, metal box was in the center. The top pulls off partly, I open and close it multiple times with a flick of my thumb to get used to the motion. Underneath the cap was a small button. I jumped back and almost dropped it when fire popped out the top and illuminated the area around me. Just as quickly as it started, it ended when my finger fell off of the button. I took a second to make sure all of my hair was out of reach of the metal box before pressing down on the little button again. The small flame was...nice. As hot as the vents were, the garbage is cold. My eyes widen at the comfortable warmth it provides and it’s small circle of light it gives.

            After a few moments, my eyes fall back to the yellow thing that had contained the lightbox. It is a lot bigger than what it had contained. I close the lightbox and set it aside before scooching over and picking up the yellow item. It unfolds four times and then I am able to look at it in its full glory. Interesting. It looks like it would reach halfway down my thighs, probably just below my shorts. There are several buttons running down the front and a large pocket on each side of the rubbery material. And I notice that the outside of the hood is wet but the inside is dry. This is odd, normally when my clothes get wet it goes all the way through. I sit up on my knees and pull on the piece of clothing.

            Hmmm. I like this. I am going to keep this jacket on.

 

            “Pidge, have you found a way in yet?” I huff and stab my knife into the ground as I get the same exact answer for the fifth time in a row.  
            “Keith, if I had already found a way in do you really think we would still be sitting here in a cave?” the small, brunette technician just leaned further into her laptop as if that would help her find an entrance to the several-mile-large sea ship in front of us.

            We arrived on this planet hours ago. The route that was on the message led us straight to a cliff over the ocean. On the beach, there were hundreds of human-like beings with the exceptional fact that they are extremely, uh, wide. Their skin rolled and layered over itself in folds and their mouths gape open disgustingly like fish. With every small step, they manage to make their bodies sway from side to side. We are still trying to figure out what species they are. They all appeared to be waiting to board the ship that was most definitely Galran, and the Zarkonian flag flew high on top of it all. Guards are at every doorway and window though, making it nearly impossible to get onboard without detection.

            That was hours ago, by now the giant doors in the front had opened and about half of the beings have boarded. The thought to sneak in amongst them did cross our mind, but every single one of the beings had to go through a checkpoint that we would not be able to get through.

            “You would think that the message would include how to actually get on the place we have to go”, the big, dark-skinned man that goes by the name Hunk inquires as he fiddles with the camera bag. On top of several other things, both he and Pidge are in charge of keeping the live video feed heading back to headquarters up. We are the first mission in decades to successfully land on earth, they want to know exactly what is going on down here. That is all this mission is, recon. They want to know if it is worth starting up the missions again. So far, everything seems fine. The sky is blue, the waters blue, this all seems more and more pointless and like a waste of time.

            “The bigger the message, the bigger the chance it would have been caught and we would never have been able to even get this far. We just have to keep waiting and we will find a way”, despite his words, even Shiro sounds like he is getting a little bored. Shiro is the team leader and just so happens to be the only one that I know past last week when we were chosen and started preparing for this mission. I guess you could say we are pretty close. The rest of us though? Well, you can hardly call us a functional team.

            “Hey guys, I think I might have found something”, we all stop and turn to Pidge, and I definitely here Shiro let out a little sigh.

            “Thank goodness!” Hunk exclaims as he stands up and begins dusting off his pants.

            But before we are able to see what Pidge has on her screen she covers it with her hands. “Don’t thank me yet, you might not like the solution”, she explains.  
            I cross my arms and glare at the tiny genius. “Pidge, we have been sitting here for hours watching patrols come and go, the ship is almost completely boarded and I swear if we came all the way down here just for that boat to take off without us I am just going to break in through the front entrance. I will literally take any solution you have”. My threats are not empty either.

            Shiro does not look impressed with my little spiel and neither does Pidge, but she just shrugs her shoulders and moves her hands away from the screen. “Well, if you are willing to take any solution then I see no problems”, she smiles at me and something about it does not make me feel confident.

            As we all step forward to see the screen, Hunk begins speaking. “Whatever it is can’t be that-” Anything he might have said to excuse the situation was disqualified before the words were even able to leave his mouth due to the scene on the computer. What we saw was the nastiest, dirtiest, most disgusting flow of ground up sludge pouring out of an enormous drain by the bottom of the ship. Just watching the chunky gunk pour and push itself out between the bars was gag worthy.

            “Well, you did say **any** solution.”


End file.
